Philip Bowcock appointed CEO of William Hill

William Hill PLC (LSE: WMH) (William Hill or the Group), one of the world's leading betting and gaming companies, has appointed Philip Bowcock as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with immediate effect. Philip was appointed Interim CEO in July 2016 having previously been Chief Financial Officer of the Company.

William Hill Chairman, Gareth Davis said: "Since his appointment as Interim CEO last July, Philip has driven the business forward at real pace and we have seen important progress across our Online, Retail and international businesses over that time. Our recent results show that William Hill is now in a stronger position and Philip has outlined a clear plan to continue that momentum into the future."

Philip Bowcock said: "I am proud to be chosen to lead William Hill, a business that millions of customers trust and a brand that is synonymous with betting. During my time at the helm, I have had the opportunity to lead a passionate, talented and committed team and we have made considerable operational progress in recent months. The team and I are excited by the opportunity to keep improving our position in all our key markets whilst delivering a great experience for our customers."

Philip Bowcock was appointed Interim CEO of William Hill in July 2016 having joined the Group as CFO in November 2015. He joined William Hill from Cineworld Group where he was Finance Director for nearly four years. Previously, he was Finance Director at Luminar PLC, having had senior finance roles at Barratt Developments PLC and Tesco. He also spent seven years at Hilton Group as Vice President of Finance at a time when the company owned Ladbrokes. He is a Chartered Management Accountant. 

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The Company's 2016 Annual Report, inclusive of the directors' remuneration report, was published prior to the appointment of Philip Bowcock as permanent CEO. A summary of the remuneration arrangements for Philip upon appointment as permanent CEO is provided below for information.

Since appointment as Interim CEO, Philip Bowcock has received a base salary of £550,000 per annum, set in line with the base salary of the previous CEO which had not been increased since appointment in July 2014. Following a benchmarking exercise carried out by the Remuneration Committee in accordance with the Company's remuneration policy, Philip will receive a base salary of £600,000 per annum with effect from his appointment as permanent CEO.

Benefits, pension allowance and participation in the annual bonus plan and in long-term incentive awards will all be in accordance with the Company's remuneration policy. No additional remuneration or awards have been made in connection with Philip's permanent appointment. Full details will be provided in the Company's 2017 remuneration report.

About William Hill

William Hill, The Home of Betting, is one of the world's leading betting and gaming companies, employing around 16,000 people. Founded in 1934, it is one of the UK's largest bookmakers with around 2,375 licensed betting offices that provide betting opportunities on a wide range of sporting and non-sporting events, gaming on machines and numbers-based products including lotteries. The Group's Online business (www.williamhill.com) is one of the world's leading online betting and gaming businesses, providing customers with the opportunity to access William Hill's products online, through their smartphone or tablet, by telephone and by text services. William Hill US was established in June 2012 and provides land-based and mobile sports betting services in Nevada, and is the exclusive risk manager for the State of Delaware's sports lottery. William Hill Australia is one of the largest online betting businesses in Australia, established through the acquisition of two businesses in 2013. It offers sports betting products online, by telephone and via mobile devices. William Hill PLC is listed on the London Stock Exchange. The Group generates revenues of c£1.6bn a year.